Pitches to improve for Shield games

Cricket Australia will institute a Sheffield Shield pitch inspection process next year in an effort to better prepare state players for the rigours of Test cricket.

The pitch inspection process, which will start on January 13, was one of the major resolutions at a quarterly meeting of state and territory Cricket Association chief executives, CA chief executive James Sutherland and the CA executive team in Melbourne on Friday.

CA and the states want developing players to be plying their trade on "pitches that are of an international standard".

The quality of Australia's first-class pitches has come into question in recent years.

South Australia coach Darren Berry and star Australia batsman Michael Hussey are among those to have recently expressed their concerns that wickets had become too bowler friendly.

"It's not just Hobart. Brisbane is the same, Perth is the same and even Melbourne last year was very bowler-friendly," Berry said earlier this month.

"I don't think that's good for Australian cricket.

"I feel the medium-fast bowlers are getting figures that are perhaps not reflective of their true ability.

"I think it's really difficult for young batsmen - or for any batsmen - or for spin bowlers to play in those conditions to prepare them for Test cricket."

Hussey expressed largely the same sentiment ahead of the first Test against South Africa.

"I'm a bit concerned, to be honest. It seems like the nature of pitches around the country are really result-based," Hussey told ESPN Cricinfo.

"I'm concerned that batters aren't learning to bat for six hours and construct long innings and concentrate for long periods of time."

Meanwhile, Australian cricket wants to accelerate the ability of Pakistan-born refugee Fawad Ahmed to play in the Big Bash League now that Ahmed has won his appeal for the right to stay in the country.

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